Tom Hardy Is a Multilayered Man of Mystery in New ‘Locke’ Poster

On paper, the basic premise of Tom Hardy's new film "Locke" is as uncomplicated as it gets: It's about a man in a car. Of course, some of you may be thinking, "That's it?" But director Steven Knight hopes the lack of explanation has you thinking, "That's it!"

That minimalist, less is more approach also applies to the film's pre-release promotion, as Knight explained to us over the phone. "We don't want to give away the reason for the journey, because we want that to be a surprise. We don't want to mislead anyone to believe that it's a crime caper or a murder mystery, it's not. It's about a very ordinary man with a very ordinary problem, that feels as if it justifies the drama."

Though we know where our bread is buttered, we can certainly appreciate Knight's minimalist stance, which stands in stark contrast to the more-is-more model Hollywood frequently uses. And we certainly appreciate our exclusive piece of the film's less-is-more promotion: the new poster above, which fittingly features Hardy behind the wheel of a car.

Where previous posters have focused on one image of an intense-looking Hardy, this new poster seems to play with that concept. The layered, reflected images of the leading man suggest that there is more to the story, and most especially Hardy's character, than meets the eye. In short yes, there is a lot more to the story, but Oscar-nominated writer/director Knight ("Dirty Pretty Things," "Eastern Promises") wants audiences to know as little about the film as possible.

"It's good if people know it's a man and a car," said Knight. "I think that's a fine starting point."

Knight isn't trying to be cagey, it's just that one of the enjoyable elements of the film is watching the surprises unfold along the way. "Often people talk about characters going on a journey in a film, and in this one he really does go on a journey," Knight added.

Without giving anything away the journey in question isn't a fast-paced thriller or murder mystery, but rather the very compelling story of an ordinary man, Ivan Locke (Hardy), whose life is altered forever during a nighttime drive to London.

Check back in with Yahoo Movies tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. PT to see our exclusive trailer premiere for the film and the full interview with Knight. "Locke" opens in limited release on April 25.